tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6164400845780458490.post4961416300929887053..comments2024-02-22T04:00:47.480-05:00Comments on EdTech Workshop: The Flat Classroom- Are We Really Ready?Andreahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10630103304646424890noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6164400845780458490.post-10868555605839415032011-03-09T08:56:38.498-05:002011-03-09T08:56:38.498-05:00Thank you Angie, Jess and Jenny, for your comments...Thank you Angie, Jess and Jenny, for your comments. I was a bit afraid of what kind of comments this post might bring since I know this can be a heated issue.<br /><br />@Jess- I agree that we have no choice but to be ready to help our students make global connections. Avoiding problems or pretending they don't exist doesn't do much toward solving them, does it? That said, we have decided not to discuss this with our students. Liat feels that they are just too young to understand and that it would serve no purpose. She is currently teaching about Haman, who wanted to annihilate the Jews in ancient Persia. It is difficult enough for them to understand that kind of hatred in times past, let alone trying to teach them that it still exists.<br /><br />@Jenny-I had such a hard time coming up with a title for this post. I wanted to call it something along the lines of what you wrote in your comment--"it became a learning experience of a different kind" or " the one who ended up learning the most was me."<br /><br />I just want to add that, at this moment, I feel positively about things due to the openness and willingness to engage in conversation of both the project organizer and the teacher in the Arabic country. I did share a draft of the post with that teacher before publishing it. She requested that I remove mention of her country to protect her anonymity and kindly gave me permission to quote her.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6164400845780458490.post-8692222083386712742011-03-09T06:00:40.438-05:002011-03-09T06:00:40.438-05:00It sounds like this project wasn't the learnin...It sounds like this project wasn't the learning experience you had hoped it would be, in many ways. However, it became a learning experience of an entirely different kind (including for those of us reading). I agree with you that it is easy to live comfortably here and have no idea of the challenges faced in others parts of the world. I appreciate your willingness to share this.Jennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04725549451973770515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6164400845780458490.post-52387264814367663642011-03-09T05:36:23.473-05:002011-03-09T05:36:23.473-05:00You ask some honest questions, the most important ...You ask some honest questions, the most important being in your title I think - are we really ready? I think we have to be because if nothing else, lessons are learned from issues that arise from these sorts of interactions and that benefits those involved, and helps them to learn more about the world. It is a pity that some teachers have to live in the sorts of situations that the Arabic speaking teacher has to live in and hopefully the future will bring us a place where these sorts of things are not longer problems, but it is important to push forward with these sorts of projects and interactions because hopefully they can contribute in some way to that future we all want.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10689508654833180702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6164400845780458490.post-51181116223965150132011-03-08T18:04:24.326-05:002011-03-08T18:04:24.326-05:00Thank you for being so brave and posting your refl...Thank you for being so brave and posting your reflections. You wrote an honest entry about your feelings and reflections. You have brought to the forefront that there are many things to consider when embarking on these global awareness projects. Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm certain others can learn from it. It's helped me reflect too.Angiehttp://techieang.edublogs.orgnoreply@blogger.com